Dear Loved Ones,
It has been one year, June 3, 2014, since we lost our beloved Mom, Bamma, Sister, Aunt, Cousin and Friend, Beverly Osborne. It has been a year filled with shock and sorrow, happiness and sadness, tears and laughter, loneliness and togetherness, healing and coping and most of all, LOVE.
As a family, we have not been able to come up with the appropriate way to pay our respects to Mom and to allow you to do the same. She did not like funerals even though she attended many herself to pay respect to those she held so dear. We have come to realize that Mom was memorialized by so many while she was alive.
As you all know, in October 2010, Mom fell gravely ill. She bravely fought her way back to us all. During this long recovery, she and her family received so many prayers, kind words, cards and visits. At first we provided daily updates and then weekly and then monthly as time went on. The responses we received, the cards that were sent, the phone calls that were made and the thoughts and prayers offered up were a tribute to her. When she was able, she looked through every email, note, letter, Facebook post and card. She loved the visits. Mom was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. It was what got her through the sickness, recovery and the hard work of rehabilitation. It inspired her to live the best life she could in the time she had left. The love is what kept all of us going when things looked hopeless.
Mom was able to see Jimmy and Ian become fine young men and Laycee a beautiful young lady. She was able to share in the joy of Marina and Avery joining our family. Bamma was so proud of her grandkids. They were the “apples of her eye.” Bamma, so named by Jimmy, was a fierce supporter of all they have done and will do. Whatever they were interested in, she was interested in. You could see the joy in her heart for her “kids” through her teary, proud eyes. They have dedicated their lives to making her and Papa proud in their own distinctive ways. You can still see Beverly in her five grandchildren. They each possess qualities and traits and some funny words and phrases that have been passed on from the best Bamma ever. If you had the pleasure of seeing her with each of them, you would have seen a grandmother who loved each of her grandchildren individually and as a collective group. Laycee, Bamma’s “sunshine”, says what she misses most is their late-night chats about their daily life, school, and boys and how much they love each other.
When Mom moved to Idaho with Heidi and Chris and her new granddaughters, she spent some quality time with the daughter and "son" she loved so much and watched as her “girls” began to grow up. She was as much of a blessing to them as they were to her. She taught us all about strength of character and the joy of everyday life whether you feel well or not. Marina and Avery talk about her all the time and have so many wonderful memories including trips to Michigan and Canada and to Florida. Marina's favorite memory is Christmas, which was Mom's favorite holiday. Avery's favorite memory was the first time she met Bamma. We surprised her at her kitchen table. We believe she survived her ordeal, in part, to meet them and create those memories. Heidi's gardens thrived under her supervision and will continue to in her honor. She was such a great example of the parent we all hope to be. The community of Garden Valley was her home for only a short time, but she was embraced as one of their own and for that we are grateful.
Just a little time before her passing, Mom was able to spend a month with her dear sister Wanda back in California. They had a wonderful time talking and reminiscing as only sisters can do. Mom so loved this time and Aunt Wanda is very grateful and cherishes the time they were able to spend together. In California, our last memories of being together came when we all threw Laycee the most fun Sweet Sixteen party. Mom, Heidi and Aunt Wanda sat around the table and put decorations together. Those friends of Laycee who knew Bamma so enjoyed spending this time with her, too. It is a bittersweet feeling now that the last time most of us saw Mom was when she left the party after midnight tired but with joy on her face having had a wonderful time. She traveled back to Idaho shortly after.
A couple of days after she passed away, Heidi found a note Mom had written to the love of her life, our beloved dad, Stan. It read, "God made plans for us to always be together and it doesn't stop now. Love you millions." Those of us lucky enough to see them together know what she meant. They we partners in life and love and we know they are partners in heaven. We take comfort in knowing they are together again and watching over us.
At a memorial service everyone gathers and expresses how they felt about the person who is gone. It benefits those who are still here. The outpouring of love for Mom benefitted her while she was still here. She was thankful and blessed for that and so are we.
We ask one thing. When you see something that reminds you of Mom, smile and think of her. It may be a rose or a soccer ball or a hot dog at lunchtime (some of you may get that!) or a loving mom or a doting grandmother or a smell of a wonderful home-cooked meal. She was a coffee and dessert lover if that gives you pause. Whatever stirs that memory, hold onto it for a little bit and think of Beverly Osborne. You may want to plant a rose in your garden or donate to your favorite charity or volunteer with children. These are but a few things that Mom did out of love in her life. She would smile if she knew you did the same.
The San Fernando Valley Rose Society dedicated a show category this April at their annual Rose Show to honor Mom for her 50 years of contributions to the society. We thank the society for their kind remembrance of Beverly.
As a family we thank you for the love and support we have all received this past year and we thank you for loving our Mom, Grandma, Sister and Aunt. It is appropriate that together we have had a chance to put our feelings about Beverly here because she was all about family. The many people in her life were all brought together by her love. We miss her dearly and not a day goes by when she isn’t brought into our conversations.
With all of our love,
Mike, Jimmy, Ian and Laycee Osborne
Heidi, Chris, Marina and Avery Simpson
Wanda, Mark, Lisa and Taylor Winn